The Press., 1887-07-21
TIE JOHN BROWN SONG.

LOUIS, MO, ana LOOK an engagement Ill theater there Leavenworth at that time was under the greatest excitement All sorts of rnmors of war were coming ia, and the soldiers seemed to be concentrat- ing. from all sides. Bonfires and stump speeches were the nightly occurrences, and stirred up the patriotism of the peo- pie to fever heat. As boy, I naturally fell into the excitement, and every chance I had would attend these public meet ings. At one of them heard an impas- stoned orator thunder out: T af
 For Freedom and Right will surely win the dayl' .F is ss4sz }t t
 .a seThis sentence renamed with me. I pondered over it, and finally got to singing it in different ways in several songs. Some time after, heard prominent citizen say that John Brown was dead, but the rebels would find that his soul would roll on and crush them mP Before either of these oc- cRrrences, I heard number of soldiers on "a south bound steamer singing, as they swept by b.: ~ra,, .,*ss45e 4r}e
 " 'Go tell Aunt Suseyl Go tell Aunt susey |
 Go tell Aunt Susey old John Brown is
 a''.' dead.' (Etc.lr' e'' h '47t ' 'sThis tune I had. .piokedlup and learned thoroughly. One gift of nature to me, has been the art of combining two tunes of different kinds and thereby producing a new one. | had combined this tune of 'Go tell Aunt Susey' with the old Sunday school hymn, T love to go to Sunday school, and the union of these two, tunes produced the air of John Browns Body, as sung everywhere since that time. I sang this tune long before put any words to it. But when I heard Freedom and Right will surely win the day. and that John Browns soul would roll on and crush them,' I found with delight that l could fit them neatly into my tune.
 ,'ssThe play in which gave John Browns Body was designated as Jeff Davis. in the camp. It represented a number of northern negroes going down to capture Jeff. Davis, and during the march ,southward they build camp fire, and while the bean soup is boiling the soldiers join in the chorus I was the sentinel, and gave the song at this time. A company of soldiers was present in the audience, and was quite startled at the reception my song received. They hur- rahed, yelled, laughed, stamped, and call ed me out time and again, until the pro prietor of the theater interposed and quieted the excitement. But that night, 1 every time appeared on the stage anoth- CT storm of applause would greet me.
 | "After the show was over, the soldiers cheered and went, out singing John Browns Body ! in all sorts of ways, and 1 for several days after | heard if on the street in many different ways. The tune has always remained as first composed it, but the soldiers changed the words to suit their. own convenience and ideas. The song as I sang it was. as follows: ...g5
 John Browns body lies slumbering in the l #sa grave; ,st3 I 5.@ -gGg sE9gsa 5ss .[s@ John Brown was noble, loyal and brave;
 His mission on earth was to rescue and to save, ]. e7sz And his soul goes rolling onis4 3s.
 CHoRUs: Glory, glory, Hallelu5ahi {Ese.) Tho rebels in the south can never make it pay While John Browns mission speeds on it's way, For Freedom and Right will surely win the day, ta As his soul goes rolling onl atA'i
 'sThis was all the song-but two verses. A short time after this little newsbOy stopped me and told me that he had made up Eew verse for my song; and upon asking him to sing it, he sang -*s
 'We'll hang Jeff Davis on a sour apple-tree P repeating the same line three times, I laughed, and told him I, would think it over. e.- ...... .. ga. s........t .......
 "In the theater when I gave the song was Frenchman named o. Francois, well known to the early settlers of Leaven- worth, who was the leader of glee club, composed of actors, who sang nicely many national airs and ballads. MT. Francois, about the same time I sang the song, went to New York, and, learn, returned by way of Massachusetts, and am lead to believe that it was through. his means that the song reached the eastern states as quickly as it did and also have good reasons for believing that the Seventh Kansas and Fiftieth Illinois regiments car
 ried the song south 8 little later.
 '1 '"Phese are the facts as they occurred {: and I may say, in closing, that I am pleased to note that the little acorn has developed into the mighty oak, and John Browns name is onesof the imperishable nlonu- ments that now adoril free and united country and the colored people of the south and north can unite under the Qlori
 Ons banner of liberty in preserving the name and love for him who freelyieaye his life for their liberty and freedom, s-.asl j.
 ''I have heard severe criticism on the part of southerners regarding the illustri- ous dead, but I often remember the olden story in the Holy Book, of similar criti- cisms made by the enemies of Christ. and also read that Greater love hath no man than this. that a man lay down his life for his friends ffft
 tsSo, in our homes. in our workshops, in the fields, in the churches and schools, through the pages of history, and within our own hearts, we will never forget the boys in blue who saved the union, and the glorious hero who laid down his life will ingly and freely, that the curse of slavery should be forever extingnished from the bright, fair pages of our history. And while we strew bright flowers over the graves of the departed heroes, we shall al- ways remember, with swelling heart and deep affection, the great work accomplish